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1.10.2009

Federer- Er Er Erred: Part-1

After 2 months of fortitude, I’ve done with downloading WIMBLEDON MEN’S SINGLES FINAL-08, so far the best Wimbledon finals, no no, the best tennis match I’ve watched.


With darkness enveloping Centre Court and the clock showing 9:15 p.m., Rafael Nadal watched as Roger Federer's errant forehand settled into the net, ending what might have been the greatest men's final on the greatest stage in tennis. With that, Nadal flopped onto his back on the worn-out lawn as Champion of Wimbledon for the first time and conqueror of the five-time winner and grass-court master. Roger Federer’s Wimbledon loss is too much of a shock to me that I really don’t feel like saying anything about this very sad result. All the credit goes to Rafael Nadal staying in the match but my heart truly goes out to Roger. 


The dejected expression in his face, holding the Runner-up trophy to his chest seems like grasping a fire and the one that is made for you, the trophy that can be changed as Federer Winitdon is bitten by arch-rival was a pain to watch. I keep on playing the video with a slight hope that Federer forehand turning a winner though I know it can’t.

 

Among all tennis players that I admire, ROGER FEDERER is my favorite and I always rate him the best player in the history of the game, I always thought that PETE SAMPRAS was the best, but personally I believe that Federer has better skills, but of course Pete Sampras is a great a player and he was my favorite in the past. Other players for whom I’ve cheered where Ana Ivanovic, Marat Safin, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic. But of course on top of them is Federer. If you watch Federer playing, you will definitely notice how smart he is, I’ve never seen someone playing like him, the way he puts the ball on the line, the incredible back-hand shot that drives the opponent outside the field, not to mention the great aces.

 

For more than four years, Roger Federer was the undisputed king of tennis, dominating and demoralizing opponents like perhaps no other athlete in history. But he has looked very human last year. The Swiss genius lost the World No. 1 ranking after a record 237-week residency relinquishing the crown to Spain's Rafael Nadal. For the first time since 2003, he entered the U.S. Open without the top seed tag. He has stumbled through the year with just two tournament wins and not a single Grand Slam title beating worn out MURRAY who has stunned his nemesis-NADAL, in the US OPEN finals.

 

 

And Federer racked up almost as many losses (15) in a single year as he had in the previous three seasons combined (18). Worse, some of those defeats came against players outside the top 20 -- notably American Mardy Fish, Czech plunger Radek Stepanek, Giles Simon, Canas and Ivo Karlovic, all lowered his colors, whom he had previously dispatched in straight sets. Even Andy Roddick, usually a pushover rival, managed to get in on the act, registering only his second win in 17 starts against Federer and James Blake, who was 0-8 against Federer, shut him out of Olympics.

 

Federer's 2008 proved as much. His grand slam season was hardly shabby. The roots of Federer's struggles last season could be traced to the beginning of the year. The season began with an energy-sapping bout of glandular fever that affected his fitness level through the spring. Tennis history is littered with champions struggling for fitness or health. He lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open to eventual champion NOVAK DJOKOVIC and did not win his first tournament until April, enduring uncharacteristic losses along the way. Then, there was a frightful thrashing by Rafael Nadal in Federer’s third straight failed attempt to win the final on the Paris red clay in which he won just four games in a straight sets loss. But the big blow came in slaying the LION at its den. A crushing five-set defeat to Nadal at Wimbledon, that many consider to be the best ever played. Federer entered having won five straight titles at the All England Club and had beaten Nadal in the two previous finals. He has not gotten over it still. 

Federer has called the loss one of the most disappointing of his career, and he has yet to show he has rebounded mentally. Federer in press conference said that he played good match, I don’t agree with him because he missed so many opportunities which could have given him the record setting sixth Wimbledon Championship. He will realize his mistakes once he has chance of looking at the match critically and will avoid the same mistakes of getting alarmed on important match points.  Or if an exhausting four and a half years at the top or running smack into a wall of Spanish muscle habitually had derailed his poise and penetrated his resolve. Whatever has gone wrong, has there been a more precipitous decline from No. 1 to No. 2? A year ago, it didn’t seem possible that Nadal could close so fast. 


It shows you how uncertain tennis can be, even when you're talking about someone who dominated for four years. You never know when you're going to see the beginning of the end. It's hard to predict. You work so hard to build that invincibility, knowing that at any moment it could break. You lose a little confidence in your shots, and all of the sudden you start to second guess yourself, and the players start to feel that now they have a shot against you.  Roger has lost confidence and belief in his supernatural abilities, and so fails to blow his opponents off the court; and his opponents starting to see Federer as vulnerable, not as dominant as he used to be, and that they even have a chance of thumping him. Several young players, including Nadal, Djokovic and Britain's Andy Murray, have been improving rapidly.

Federer acknowledged that his consciousness has taken a beating.

“But at the same time I think it's always been difficult to beat all these guys. It's just a matter of losing some matches where I feel like I shouldn't have lost. And then sometimes it plays a trick in your mind where you think maybe you're not playing that well actually, but it's actually not the case."


It sounds crazy to ask, but is Federer even capable of reclaiming the titles he has lost in 2008? The twinkling star over his head has been replaced by an evil look. What troubles this 27-year-old, who paraded into 2008 with 12 Grand Slam titles, seemingly assured of passing Pete Sampras’s 14, but who now makes his legions of fans pensively wonder if he will ever cross 14 in 2009?


To Be Continued….. 

 

Thanks! Keep Visiting!

15 Droplets:

Lancelot said...

me the first...

Kartz said...

Ok bro'... Now you talkin' my language!

Well, let's face facts. Nadal was about to *lose* his 2nd ranking to Djokovic - not once, but twice. And twice, he saved his ranking and went one better on Federer.

And that was a good quote you cited. Do mention where you found it...

Personally, this was the quote I liked - (Wimbledon loss) "People were feeling sorry for me, instead of being happy for Rafa. That hurts."

And to tell you a stark truth... Did you watch him play Murray last night? Well, I won't be surprised if Federer v09 is as good/bad as v08, if not worse!

Anyway, the law of averages catch up, don't they?

Moving on...

Why I'll say Roger is better than Pete; simple - 3 finals at RG as opposed to 1 Qf.

Why I'll say Pete may be a shade better than Roger; 7 Wimbledons (which would have been a bloody 8-in-a-row but wasn't thanks to Richard Krajicek in '96)

Also, Pete had to put up with stiff competition.

Agreed, Roger has dominated tennis. His record against the top-10 speaks volumes (bar Rafa, and now, Murray). But let's take a closer look at the type of players that make up the top-10 he has dominated.

Andy 'one-slam wonder' Roddick - just a booming serve and a good forehand. Nothing else.

James 'tough nut' Blake - strong groundstrokes but definitely no all around play!

Nikolay 'steel' Davydenko - He comes a cropper against Roger everytime!

The list will go on... No one is close to forming the top-10 Pete had to deal with. (Djokovic is improving, though.)

Roger and Rafael are definitely gonna be greats in one way or the other. That's for sure.

What I'll say is... Let's get realistic. No use comparing two different eras. The debate will always be raging. Period.

Oh btw, good post! Enjoyed it. (You should've known that by now!)

Peace.

---
My posts on/related to tennis;

http://kartzonline.blogspot.com/2008/10/dazzling-panoply-of-rivalry_13.html

http://kartzonline.blogspot.com/2008/07/unforgettable-sunday.html

Yep, back from my forced hiatus.

Peace. Have a great weekend.

Kartz said...

Heh heh heh, must say - you picked an apt heading for your post!

And here's another tithing. It has to be the best irony of Tennis '08. Federer's [usually] awefreakinsome forehand actually cost him Wimbledon. Ah the ways of sport...

Vijay said...

The 2008 Men's finals is one of those matches, which I don't want to see again. I had been an avid follower of too many tennis players. Starting with Ivan Lendl. My dad taught me to follow tennis, when I was in my 3rd class, when India took on Argentina in a Davis cup. Those were the days of Vijay Amritraj / Anand Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan.
Ivan Lendl's game was very similar to Roger Federer. Ivan lendl's passing forehand passing shot can be compared a classic cover drive of Rahul Dravid. All were text book shots. The best part of Ivan Lendl was that he would never show any on court histrionics. But still Wimbledon proved to be his nemesis. He managed to reach the finals in 1986 (or was it 1987)? But he was derailed by a lesser known Pat Cash, who had a dream run that year at the AELTC. Then in all his successive years, he was stopped at the semi-finals by Boris Becker. Alas he ended his career with 0 wimbledon wins.

Steffi had been all time favourite. Believe it or not, I had collected all pictures and articles of Steffi in Sportstar, from 1986 to 1999. I had even sent a greeting card to her on her Birth Day June 14th to Bruehl, her native place in Germany, with the hope that it would reach her. I would get fever, when she is playing. I would be upset for more than 2-3 days, if she loses a match. I wouldn't dare see those moments, when she would lose a match. I even gave up watching Tennis, when she lost the Wimbledon 1999 to Lindsay Davenport. I was chanting Vishnu Sahasranamam throughout the game, expecting her to Win. I gave up watching tennis after she retired from Tennis.

It was Roger Federer, who re-ignited my tennis spirits. I wish Unlike Ivan Lendl who ended his career without a single Wimbledon win, Federer wins atleast one French Open by taking revenge on Nadal. Nadal is a great player. But just because he keeps defeating Federer, I love to hate him and hate to love him.

Sen said...

@ Karthik...true the match was tennis at its best...I enjoyed every minute...though I was rooting for fellow left-hander Nadal...the defining moment was when Nadal flopped on his back...he had finally got what he had been trying to possess for the past three years...it gave an impression of a man standing on top of the tallest mountain after a long and arduous climb...

Sen said...

Karthik...love the new template :)

Anonymous said...

tennnnnis.. love this one..fed express rox.. loved stefan edberg when i was in schooll.. then loved to watch thomas muster too..

vinny said...

Karthik, very interesting post n observations!! u can sell ur blog for loads of $$$$$ :)
very clean, neat look...grrrrrrrrrrrr...where r our awards, honors, etc?????

Thoorika said...

Nice template! Nice title of the post! No comments on the posts! Cos I got lost somewhere in between. Searching for my way out!

Karthik said...

@Lance: First and worst :X Where s the rply? Went to watch women's match :P

@Kartz: It was frm the HINDU, the press interview which fedex had given aftr losing WIMBLEDOn.. Agony!! :( yEah i'd watched yesterday and will continue it in ma next post!! I'm not intended to compare FEDEX and PETE... Both are greats but the qn is whether FEDEX cn overhaul Pete's record of 14?? :) Fedex cn nvr be Pete and vice versa... But i've diff opinion on the players fedex have 2 take on when compared with PETE!!! Will write it soon!!

Karthik said...

@Vijay: You are a tennis encyclopedia.. thought u were a cricket freak aftr seeing ur cric blog.. But u love tennis?? PINCH!! Soon v cn watch a match of FEDEX together :P

@Seno: Credits to NADAL but I hate to watch it and love to hate him :) Thnks Sne.. I love the template too.. So simple!!


@Chris: Thomas muster? Haven't heard mate.. Write an article on him


@Vinne: Will upload tomo Vinnie.. No one gonna take my blog if i put for sale :P

@Thoorika: Lost in Coimbatore R u?? :P Come back soon!!

Lancelot said...

@ kartik

what can I say about this boring post- no glamour at all?? didn't tell about my dream girl anna carnikava and Sania Mithicha(of course naarum)...athanaalla intha bloggaa naan purakanikiren...ithai kandithu nallaiku kaalaila tea kudipen...(tea sellavu 3rupees Wire Transfer pannidu)...varen bye...

P.S: this is the only game I was coached properly- still I dont watch men's game(as I am no gay)..i just watch women's tennis...for obvi reasons :P kindly understand my feelings (put a sexy pic of my dream girl in ya blog plss)

Kartz said...

Oh yeah... Do that! That will be quite an interesting read.

Yes, I do understand that you do not intend to compare. My initial statement was targeted at those who still feel like comparing eras. Read so many people cribbing about it!

Hmmm... I still say he *can* surpass Pete's record. I dare say he can bag another 5-for at Wimbledon! But the sad thing is, grass courts are slowing down. And it is easy for the newer generation to adapt to the surface.

I just want him to concentrate on Grand Slams! I give a damn to his ranking. For me, Pete's record of the year-end ranking should stay! I mean... That's *his* legacy! But Grand Slams? Naah...

If Federer does go past Sampras, he may get lucky. I say this because the current crop of youngsters (age group: 19-22) have it in them to give Nadal a run for his money if he ever sets his sights on the number Federer stops with.

Time will tell.

Peace.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see you writing on different sections and now on SPORTS... thought cricket would be first, surprised to see TENNIS.. And yeah! Even I cried on watching Fedex losing the finals. I'd a bet with my frnd who s a RAFA fan that FEDEX wil Blow RAFA away... :( What ought to be a bitter revenge turned as a success formula continuation of french open. Forgot to mention MURRAY, TIM HENMAN in the list?? Nice post buddy on federer...

Anonymous said...

I think the reason Fedrer's vulnerable is due to the physical fitness.. if we see his grandslam record whoever has beaten him, only won the title.. if he improves his fitness means I think he will be on the roll again..
his game is very simple and I love to watch.. but at times I will hate that because it will look like everything was going by his way :)